This is a good combination of a cereal and a pulse which is suitable for your baby once she has adapted to rice after 1 to 2 weeks of starting weaning. This will add more variety to your baby's meal and also provide plenty of protein for healthy growth.

This wholesome and satisfactory porridge is good for your baby now that she is growing rapidly and her appetite is also increasing. It will keep her satisfied for a couple of hours.
It is a very good source of important nutrients like energy, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamin A and iron. Dates are used to sweeten this porridge as they provide iron and fibre in substantial quantities.

[SIZE=-1]Method of preparation[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Vegetables should first be boiled, then mashed in a blender, and then strained. It is important to strain the vegetables until the baby is about 7 months old. After the baby is 7 months, straining is not required because vegetable fiber is very nutritious and contains certain useful toxins. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Quantity of feed[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Begin feeding the child with a couple of spoons and then gradually increase the quantity every succeeding week to the limit accepted by the baby. Dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and pumpkin are very healthy. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Salt, butter and other additives[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]There is no need to add salt to the vegetables, since there is enough sodium in the vegetables. The baby’s system is not ready to handle too much salt in the first few months of life. Ghee, butter or cooking oil can also be added for flavor as well as for calories. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Iron and Vitamin C[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Vegetables like spinach are high in iron. In order to improve the absorption of iron into the baby’s system, you need to give vitamin C. Vegetables like tomato and cauliflower contain vitamin C and therefore can be a good complement to spinach. Multivitamin drops also contain vitamin C and can be given once a day, right after a meal.[/SIZE]

You will require 4 tablespoons of rice and 2 tablespoons of dehusked moong dal. Prepare khichri by cooking rice and dal together, with a pinch of salt (added to taste). Once khichri is cooked, you can add 2 teaspoons of ghee, butter or cooking oil to the final preparation. You can also add vegetables like carrots or spinach to the khichri and then mash the mixture. If you want to add spinach, first boil, mash and strain it, and then add this puree to the khichri and stir it. Cool the khichri and serve lukewarm.

When the baby is still young, you should mash the entire mixture in a blender so that it is easy for the baby to swallow. You can gradually increase the consistency to a semi-solid state so that the child’s palate starts getting used to regular foods.

Mashed boiled rice with milk (similar to kheer):

This is a simple recipe to ensure that the child gets rice (for carbohydrates) and milk (for calcium). Mix 1 cup of boiled rice with 1 cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Cook it on the gas for 10 minutes (keep stirring) and allow the mixture to thicken. Cool and serve lukewarm. You can also add badaam (almonds) scapings and elaichi powder for taste.

Pulav

First prepare the base for the pulav by sauting onions, cumin and mustard seeds in oil. Then add onions, potatoes, peas, carrots and any other vegetables and cook them with a little water until they are tender. Once the vegetables are cooked, add boiled rice and heat mixture for a couple of minutes. Cool and serve warm.

* Washing hands before and after meals should be encouraged.
* Children who do not eat enough at a time should be offered food every 2-3 hours. However, do not force your child to eat.
* Encourage the child to eat with a spoon or with his own fingers.

Cooking Tips

* Use less of sugar, salt and refined flour (maida or all-purpose flour) preparations.
* Unpolished rice or par-boiled rice is better than polished rice.
* Do not overcook vegetables, they lose their nutritive value.
* Do not cook fruits since the essential vitamin C is lost.
* The skin of many vegetables is rich in vitamins and minerals, so offer fresh fruits to the child with their skins.
* Wherever possible, use jaggery instead of sugar, since it is very high in iron.
* Avoid adding too much spice.

This is a brightly coloured soup and you're going to have a lot of stained "bibs" initially. Carrots provide vitamin A which is good for your baby's skin and the beetroot add sweetness, colour and fibre.Start with a combination of 2 vegetables and then add more vegetables to the soup. Remember to ensure that your baby is not allergic to any of them.

Bananas are a very baby friendly fruit and one of the very few that babies can eat raw. Bananas when combined with curds and orange juice in this velvety concoction provide your baby with energy, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away". But this is one fruit babies have trouble digesting in its raw from till they are 6 months old. So, apple punch is a wonderful way of introducing apples to your baby's diet. As your little one grows older, apples can be stewed in lesser water to make a puree and served.